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What does it sound like when longing becomes loud? When does theatre touch not just the mind, but the whole body? What does it mean to stand between two cultures – as a daughter, as a son, as a human being?

Held every May, Theatertreffen is Berlin's most prestigious annual theatre festival. A jury of critics selects the ten most remarkable productions of the season from Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and presents them on stages across the city, accompanied by discussions, awards and special programmes.

In 2025, seventeen students from Berlin's Rheingau Gymnasium were invited to see "Unser Deutschlandmärchen" (Our German Fairy Tale) at the Maxim Gorki Theatre. Before the performance, they met with director Hakan Savaş Mican and dramaturge Holger Kuhla, who offered insights into the artistic process.

The initiative is part of an ongoing collaboration with the Berlin Literature Initiative (LIN). Since 2021, it has been complemented by a workshop programme that introduces students to theatre and performance studies. Within this framework, theatre scholar and Cluster member Torsten Jost guided the group through the experience, from their first questions about the performance to developing their own critical and creative responses.

The results speak for themselves: the students produced texts, images and videos – articulating what they liked or disliked, what surprised them, and what impressed them most – always rooted in their personal perspective.

Discover the students' contributions and see how today's audiences engage with theatre on the Theatertreffen's website!